The Curse of the Soul
by Tee-Cup
Summary: "She lay shuddering in the cold night air, not even a blanket to protect her. She fell into a light sleep, dreaming only of cruel magic, looming shadows and a man with a walking stick." Lacey's never had anyone to protect her in her whole life. Luckily, Belle does have someone to help her. He just has to jog her memory. I don't own OUAT. Bit fluffy, possibly smutty. Rumbelle fic.
1. Chapter 1

**Once Upon A Time**

**I'm only near the end of series 2 at the moment and it's not entirely following with the show so kind of AU but kind of not, if that makes sense… I'm sure you'll get it!**

**I don't own Once Upon A Time or any related content**

**The Curse of the Soul**

**Chapter 1 – Here Right Now**

"_Help! Please let me out! I don't belong in here! I shouldn't be here! Let me out!" _

"_Shut up! Some of us nut-cases are trying to sleep!" _

"_No you don't understand I shouldn't be here, I'm not crazy!" _

"_Lacey, be quiet." That wasn't her usual opponent that was the nurse. She usually left her to it._

"_Why am I here?" she demanded of the nurse. "I haven't done anything!"_

"_You're a pyromaniac Lacey, you admitted it in court. You're in here because you did it not just to hurt others. But to hurt yourself. This is the best place for you."_

"_That's a lie! I never did anything like that! Let me out! I shouldn't be here." _

_There was a new sound. The sound of the jangling of keys._

"_Hush Lacey, hush or I'll have to punish you." That wasn't the nurse or her usual opponent. That was Mayor Mills, the Mayor. Why would the mayor be here?_

"_Please Ms Mills! I'm not meant to be in here! Please let me out."_

"_No Lacey. I'm the one who put you here. I'm the one who decides that this is where you belong. Now are you going to be quiet or do I have to come in there?"_

_Lacey took a few steps back, tears pricking the back of her eyes. _

"_Good girl," came the Mayor's voice. "Now go to sleep. In the morning you have to be extra quiet. There'll be a guest and if he comes to me and complains that he hears even a peep out of you, well, let's say it won't be pretty. The soul is an incredibly delicate thing you know."_

"_I shouldn't be here…" Lacey whimpered, collapsing onto her pathetic excuse for a bed. _

"_Goodnight Lacey. Sweet dreams." _

_The only thing that Lacey knew was that there was something missing. One day she'd been quite happily drinking with her friends. Then there'd been the fire and somehow it had been blamed on her. Instead of telling the court that she thought she'd seen a dragon, which she had, it had been decided that she wanted to hurt herself and others and the asylum was the best place for her. That had been 28 years ago. Here right now, she was trapped in a place she shouldn't be._

_She lay shuddering in the cold night air, not even a blanket to protect her. She fell into a light sleep, dreaming only of cruel magic, looming shadows and a man with a walking stick._

…

It was just like one of Mr. Gold's clients to get himself locked up in a mental asylum. He definitely didn't want to travel to an asylum just to have this moron sign some papers just to say that the deals to his home were dissolved and everything now belonged to Gold. He woke early that morning and was equally as angry and annoyed as he had been when he fell asleep. He hated people that didn't just dishonour agreements, but went so far that he couldn't blame them for not upholding their end in the first place. Especially as he would have to spend a lot of time and money on clearing out the apartment. The man was a nobody, a minor character in a minor fairy tale, one that Gold had no cares for.

Sometimes it was lonely, being the only one besides Regina who remembered everything about their past lives. But then he was reminded of the power and fear he held over the residents of Storybrooke and he knew he could live with it. He was content with his life here, it was a good one. He did wish he had someone to share it all with and his heart sometimes ached. The ache went away but the wish never did. As long as it wasn't Milah, he would be happy with having Bae there. In fact he wished he had Bae there, but he knew he couldn't ever leave Storybrooke to find his son. Then he wished he had Belle. But Belle was dead.

His biggest regret was sending her away, letting her go.

He showered and dressed quickly, not wanting to be late to his appointment in the hospital. He packed his agreement terms and various other documents into a small briefcase and allowed himself to stop by the shop on the way to the hospital. He didn't go in he just glanced through the glass window. From his vantage point he could see the chipped tea-cup that he had made sure would never be sold, but he could always see. He paused for a few moments, staring at his most prized object before moving on.

The walk to the hospital strained his knee and he wished that he'd driven, but it truly wasn't worth it. He considered investing in a bicycle. But then he might lose his respect, after all, what respectable businessman rode a bike to meetings.

He arrived at the hospital and checked into the mental ward down in the murky depths of the disgusting sickness hole. The stairs down didn't help his knee much but he ignored the aches and approached the front desk. He gave the name of the lunatic he was there to see and waited whilst the nurse filled out forms. He couldn't help but notice a single red rose in a vase on her desk. It reminded him of the one he'd once gotten for Belle and tore his eyes away. Not wanting to deal with the painful memories.

"There's a girl in the cell opposite, she tends to make a lot of noise. Madame Mayor asked me to tell you to let her know if the girl makes too much noise and disturbs you. She's quite a nuisance apparently."

"Cell?" he asked her, assessing her word choice.

"Here, they're as good as cells."

She unlocked the 'cell' of the man that Gold had come to see and stood just outside the door. He looked at her.

"I have to stay here, sir. Just in case." Gold nodded his understanding and entered the cell. The miserable excuse for a man sat in the corner, shaking slightly and repeatedly counting up to the number five on his fingers before clamping his fist shut and starting again.

"Mr. Gold?" the man recognised him.

"Yes."

"Why are you here?"

"I need you to sign over the remnants of your life to me so I can clear out and re-let the apartment you seem to have vacated for this lovely spot." The man was too crazy to be offended, he just smiled knowingly.

"Mr. Gold you have to be careful, you're becoming the beast. And you don't have a beauty to save your soul."

"There's no such thing as a soul." He responded, avoiding the annoyingly accurate analogy.

"Oh but there is, and it can be ripped out." Gold thought for a moment and lowered his voice.

"Is that what's happened to you?" the man nodded and tears sprung to his eyes.

"And she's coming back. In five minutes. Just four more minutes. And she won't just kill me, she'll rip out the soul of the girl over the hall too! She said so, last night! She threatened her!"

"Who did?"

"I can't say! She'll make it worse. That poor girl. I deserve to die, I want to. Living without a soul hurts too much to bear, I should die! But the poor girl over there, she doesn't! She shouldn't be here!" he sobbed lightly, "three minutes."

Gold raised his eyebrows, "Nothing's going to attack you whilst I'm in here. Or will she rip out my soul too?"

"I don't know! I don't know at all! I just know she'll kill me and her, you have to help her!"

"Who is she?" Gold asked and then shook his head. He was getting far too into indulging the man's insanity, he needed to get back to business. He handed the man the contract who scribbled his signature without any fuss at all. This made Gold suspicious.

"Two minutes!" the man sobbed before raising his voice to a scream, "Lacey! Lacey you have to hide! Lacey you have to stop yourself from being hurt by her!" he yelled at the door across the hall. But made no attempt to escape.

"Hello?" came the voice of a girl from the other side of the door. "Hello is someone there? Can someone help me?"

The nurse rolled her eyes, "Quiet Lacey. Remember what you were warned about." She said in a bored tone. Things began to grow jumbled in Gold's head. He collected up his things as the girl in the cell across began to shout.

"I don't care! I don't belong in here! Please, I've done nothing wrong! Let me out! Please! Let me out!"

"This was what Mayor Mills was talking about." The nurse said quietly to Gold as she locked the cell of the man.

"One minute!" he screeched as the girl continued her pleading. Gold could finally see the true dramatics of the psychiatric ward.

"I'll be leaving now." He said to the nurse and they were about to head back when a terrified screech emerged from the man's cell. Gold would have thought nothing of it if it hadn't been suddenly cut off in a gargle that was evident the man was choking on his own blood.

"Open the door!" he demanded of the nurse who rushed the door and opened it quickly. She covered her mouth with her hands. The girl in the other cell had gone quiet too. Lacey, her name had been.

The man was sprawled on the floor in the middle of his cell. His throat had been viciously ripped out and blood splattered every inch of the walls and surrounded him in a pool. There were no sharp objects anywhere. He couldn't have done it to himself.

"Help!" the girl screamed suddenly, and she continued to scream and scream.

"Open her door!" Gold demanded immediately, turning from the man's cell to the door of the girls.

"The Mayor said…"

"I don't care what the Mayor said! Open the door, now!" he demanded and the nurse complied as the girl continued to scream for help. This wasn't a pleading to be released, this was a genuinely terrified scream.

As the door opened a shadow scurried from the room over their heads and left the girl sobbing. She was hunched on the floor in a dark corner. Her hair was a tangled mess around her face and she was shaking with fear. Gold rushed in and crouched in front of her, dropping his case and stick.

"Are you alright?" he reached out and touched her shoulder. He didn't normally feel sorry for people, but this threat was obviously real and the girl was clearly terrified. She couldn't have been more than nineteen. She looked up at him suddenly as his hand contacted with her shoulder and he was startled. He would know those beautiful blue eyes anywhere.

It was his Belle.


	2. Chapter 2

**Once Upon A Time**

**I've just finished series 2 and I've seen the first couple of episodes of series 3 so going on everything I think it's safe to say that this is now AU! I'll try and explain the circumstances of this Universe more in this chapter.**

**I don't own Once Upon A Time or any related content**

**The Curse of the Soul**

**Chapter 2 – Moving On**

"Belle…" Gold whispered, he could hardly believe it. He couldn't tell whether it was luck or some cruel trick played on him by the witch. He knew it was Belle but now he'd been allowed to find her he could almost guarantee that Regina would rip her away from him again. Regina. This had been her, she had locked away his poor, sweet Belle and hidden her from him. This warranted a need for sticky, sweet revenge.

She stared at him blankly, she was still shivering with fear. He didn't know what the shadow had been or if it had succeeded in its mission of stealing her soul. It reminded him of the shadow in Neverland, yet it seemed so much more evil. It seemed so much darker and more solid yet wispier. He couldn't place his finger on what was different, he only knew that it was dangerous and he wasn't going to let Belle get hurt in the process.

She stared up at him now with frightened eyes, he wanted to cry and hold her and be frightened that they may be separated again. But he knew that if he appeared weak then it would only scare her more. He needed to exude his normal air of power and control, this would be the most effective way to comfort his love.

"Nurse," he said slowly as he stood, not wishing to let go of Belle but knowing that he must. "Have Miss Belle discharged and call Sherriff Swan."

"Yes sir, only…" the nurse appeared a little pale and shivery herself.

"What?" Gold snapped, disliking people who didn't obey him without question.

"Her name is Lacey, not Belle."

Gold's world fell around him. Of course, that's why she hadn't responded to him appearing. This wretched curse, Belle wasn't Belle here. She was someone else, she didn't remember him. Well he would make her remember. He would get his magic back, or demand that Regina help lift the curse. He would have his Belle back.

"Of course," Gold snapped again, "But have it done."

"Yes sir." The nurse scurried off in the direction of her front desk and Gold returned his attention to Belle who was now standing and shaking, she firmly pressed herself against the wall, terrified.

"You don't need to be frightened," Gold assured her gently, placing a hand on her shoulder again, she didn't object. "I'll take care of you. I won't let that thing come back for you."

She simply stared at him, she didn't make a move or speak. She just looked at him.

"Collect your things." He ordered her softly, picking up his cane and his case.

"I don't have any things." She responded. Her voice was brittle, it was the voice of a girl who'd only ever screamed and had never spoken. It stabbed at Gold's heart even more, the wicked queen had taken everything from the poor girl.

"Then wait here, I'll be back in a moment." He kept his back to her, he couldn't bear to look at the combination of her large eyes and the vulnerability portrayed in her voice. He couldn't bear to see her the way she was.

He left her 'cell' and walked out to the nurse's desk just as she put the phone down.

"Sherriff Swan is on her way, you should stay, sir."

"No, you saw everything that I did you can give an accurate account. If Miss Swan wished to talk to me then she can come and find me. I'm taking Miss Be- Lacey, out of here. Understood."

The nurse nodded meekly.

"Good. How old is she?" he asked, genuinely curious. Certain things were different here, it was confusing.

"Nineteen." The nurse answered automatically, not daring to challenge Mr. Gold.

"How long has she been trapped in this awful place?"

"Twenty-eight years." The nurse responded again in the same way. For a moment a look of confusion crossed her face as she realised the impossibility of her statement. But then the curse worked its evil magic and the nurse forgot her reason for confusion. Gold made a mental note to never mention the ratio of age to time-span again, at the moment, he didn't want anyone questioning anything.

"Why? What happened to her?"

"I can't answer that. It's all doctor-patient confidentiality." Gold didn't bother to protest. He simply repeated his questions. The nurse looked uncertain for a moment before sighing and recounting Lacey's story. "She was out drinking with a bunch of friends. That would have got her a little time in jail, maybe community service. But then the warehouse they were drinking in went up in flames. Everyone died, except her. She said that she did it because she didn't want to live anymore, she was diagnosed with suicidal tendencies and admitted here. But, I've heard her muttering to herself, or talking to other patients. She told them that she thought she saw some kind of dragon. Doctor Hopper came in a little while back and she told him that she saw a dragon and it set the fire. That she didn't want to die and she didn't want any of her friends to die. The court said she had to stay here for life though."

"Who was the head of that decision?" Gold asked, already knowing the answer.

"Mayor Mills." The nurse sighed and continued signing paperwork before handing it to him to sign, "Truth is, the whole time I've been here Lacey has been nuts. Sweet, but definitely nuts. She screams about all these fairy tales and mythical creatures and says that there are things coming for her. This is the first time I ever believed her. Be careful Mr. Gold, I know you think she's okay, but she's not. She may need to come back here before you know it."

"I'll give her frequent sessions with Hopper if that helps put your mind at ease." He meant the comment to be snippy as he signed his name on multiple lines but was surprised to find the nurse looking at him with concerned eyes.

"It would, thank you. She might be a little crazy. But she is sweet. And I've grown to like her. She's a nice kid."

"How long have you been here?"

"Twenty-eight years."

"Of course."

Gold signed his name for the last time before returning back to Lacey's 'cell' and finding her stood in the same place that he'd left her.

"Lacey?" he spoke to her gently. If the nurse was right then this curse had broken his Belle somewhat. Or her insanity was coming from something else, maybe she remembered more about her past life than she realised. But he realised that for now he needed to call her Lacey, he needed to gain her trust.

"Yes?"

"My name is Mr. Gold, do you know who I am?"

"Yeah, you made a deal with my dad a while back." Well that was true.

"Yes I did. I'm going to take care of you for a little while. Okay?" he spoke gently, as if talking to an infant. It was irritating him.

"Yeah, I guess. Am I leaving this place?"

"Yes. You're going to come back home with me." She nodded her understanding meekly but made no movement to show that she intended to leave. "Come on then." He held out a hand and she took it. She took a couple of wobbly steps and Gold realised. She hadn't been outside of this room in twenty-eight years. She could barely remember how to walk. He took her hand and looped it through his arm, showing her where she could hold onto him to support herself.

There was no way in hell that she could walk all the way back with him, so as he walked past the nurse's desk he ordered her to call someone to collect him. Then slowly, painfully slowly, he and his Belle began their ascent up the stairs.


	3. Chapter 3

**Once Upon A Time**

**I don't own Once Upon A Time or any related content**

**The Curse of the Soul**

**Chapter 3 – A Different Girl**

It took them half an hour to get out of the hospital and into the parking lot. He recognised his car pulled up in one of the bays and he led her to it. He settled her in the back seat before climbing in beside her. He didn't recognise the driver of his vehicle but he didn't particularly care, he just needed to get Belle home so he could bathe her and change her into something that wasn't quite so… revolting.

He watched her for the whole journey, he wanted to take her in his arms and comfort her but he didn't dare for fears of scaring her and pushing her even further away. He didn't even dare to say a word. He couldn't risk anything.

She clutched her seat, her fingers digging into the plush seats, the nervous energy flowing from her fingertips. Her body was straight, rigid with anxiety but her leg twitched every so often, only reinforcing the fact that she was terrified of leaving the padded cell that she had been confined to for her entire life in this world. She stared out of the window for the entire time, absorbing every detail of the world that she'd never experienced, the world she'd never known. She bit her lip gently, enough that it must hurt but not enough for it to show. Her eyes were wide and disbelieving, she didn't understand the world he was bringing her into.

He couldn't place her, she reminded him of the first time he'd met her, the first few weeks of her employment and when she'd run from him all at the same time. A familiar fire, fear and shyness glistened in her eyes. He wanted her to look at him with the love he was used to seeing. He regretted ever sending her away, he regretted all the mistakes he'd made and he wished he could take them back.

The car journey was short, part of him was thankful that he could quickly get her inside and begin to turn her life around. But part of him wished it had been longer, he wanted more time to be able to just watch her. He wanted more time to secretly glance at her, to steal those quick moments where she was her most spectacular. He never could understand how a beauty could love a beast.

Once the car stopped he hurried out, he ignored the throbbing ache in his knee and rushed around to the other side of the car to open the door for her before she barely had a chance. He held the door open for her and offered her his hand. She took it and he helped her out of the car and together, they made their way up the steps and to the front door of his house.

He unlocked the door and glanced at her. He knew that the house held much of the grandeur and splendour of his castle in their other life and he didn't want to overwhelm her. But as he glanced at her he noticed that she was admiring the stain glass windows with a detached curiosity. He smiled gently to himself, he could tell that she was going to enjoy it here very much. He thought about the library he'd given her in their past life and he thought about the small dusty room in his home that he supposed he could call a library. She would like it very much.

He let her inside and winced as he realised how messy everything was. He thought he'd hired a maid to keep his place clean and tidy. But then he remembered that he'd fired that maid because he didn't like the way she'd looked at him. But he remembered who she was. Ashley, more well-known to him as Cinderella and the real reason he'd fired her was because his memories had returned to him and he'd remembered what she'd done to him in the past life. She'd tricked him, the only reason he hadn't exacted more revenge was because she didn't remember that life. And when the game wasn't fair it wasn't fun, he could wait.

He led Belle into the large, yet cluttered, front hall and stopped to look at her. She was taking in her surroundings with her eyes wide and her mouth slightly open. Once she was satisfied she returned her gaze to him.

"This is your home?" she asked with slight disbelief and trepidation. She raised her eyebrows at his knowing smile.

"Yes, this is my home. And, as long as need it, it's your home too. I want you to stay here with me… Lacey. I want to take care of you and help you to get better. I want you to be happy. I will always be here for you." He smiled at her but his smile dropped when tears leaked from her eyes, but she smiled back at him weakly. He loved her smile, it brought back his own smile. It reached her eyes and his heart.

"Thank you." She said quickly.

"Please, don't mention it. Now might I tempt you with a bath? No offence, dearie, but you don't smell so great." He almost winced at his rudeness, she'd thoroughly disliked him as this kind of a man. But, much to his surprise, she laughed instead. It was a broken sound, but beautiful at the same time. He was determined to fix that laugh, he was determined to fix her.

"A bath would be wonderful, thank you." She grinned. He paused, smiling at her and trying to take in the knowledge that somewhere inside of her, this gorgeous woman loved him. But he forced himself to think of her hygiene needs. He gestured to the stairs.

"After you." He said softly and then, together, they ascended the stairs. He noticed that she barely needed his support anymore. He noticed that altogether, she wouldn't need any of his support for much longer, she was too good at adapting. But for now he was determined to use the time he had with her to convince her that she would always need him.

He showed her the bathroom and where everything was kept. He fetched her a couple of towels and helped her begin to run her bath. Once it was full he turned off the taps and left her on her own to enjoy the first wash she'd had in a long time.

Whilst she bathed he searched for a dress or any form of clothing that would be suitable for her. He knew that there was plenty of clothing in the shop, but surely he had some of Milah's old clothes. Apparently, in this life Gold hadn't been married to Milah. Regina had even taken something that had once made him happy, despite the fact that it didn't make him happy anymore. He had to hand it to her, that woman was thorough.

After searching for close to an hour, he gave up. He believed he could quite successfully conclude that there were no items of women's clothing in his home.

He had been searching through his bedroom last and now sat down heavily on his bed, sighing. She would have to stay there whilst he went to the stop and tried to find something that would be as beautiful as she was.

He heard her at the door before he saw her. A small scuffle of small, bare feet. Even they were as beautiful on their own to match the rest of her perfection. She leant against the doorframe, clutching one of the towels around her fastened at the chest to preserve her modesty whilst the other towel was twisted atop her head to contain her wet hair. A few tendrils escaped the containment of the towel and curled around her sweet face. He couldn't help himself smiling warmly back at her. He was glad she had decided not to redress in the grimy hospital clothes.

"That was wonderful, thank you Mr. Gold." She smiled and, of course, he smiled back.

"It's my pleasure, Lacey. However, I am afraid that I don't have any clothes for you…" he began and she took his pause as her cue to interrupt.

"Does that mean you don't want me to wear any clothes?" she asked with a raised eyebrow, a cheeky smile and a dangerous glint in her eyes. She dropped the towel an inch to reveal slightly more cleavage and Gold had to force his eyes back up to her face, her incredibly beautiful face. This was most definitely Lacey, not a chance she was his Belle. But Belle was in there somewhere.

"No I think some clothes would be safer." He made himself say. He couldn't work out what was wrong with both of them. She was just out of a twenty-eight year stint in a mental hospital and he was trying to help her get better.

"Maybe safer," she agreed, hitching the towel up again to his great dismay. He was enjoying the view.

He stood with great effort and moved past her and into the hallway. As he walked he spoke to her.

"Whilst I'm out please make yourself at home. Help yourself to any food, watch TV, anything you like." He deliberately didn't mention the 'library', he wanted that to be a special surprise, another gift from him to her.

"Mr. Gold," she spoke loudly but softy. He was convinced he could hear fear in her voice. He was correct.

"What if the shadow comes back?" she asked, clutching the towel a little tighter.

He paused and looked at her. He hoped that he appeared authorial but also sympathetic. But the truth was, he was afraid for her. It the shadow in Neverland had been nasty he assumed that this shadow was particularly nastier.

Whatever he appeared to look like it didn't change her anxious expression.

He sighed and wordlessly walked down the stairs and into the study. She followed him, not keen to leave his side. He picked up a stack of sticky notes and a pen. He quickly scribbled down his cell phone number and handed it to her.

"If you need me, call me." He told her gently. "But you should be safe here, I'll always protect you." He meant every word. He'd never let her go again.

"Thank you for everything, Mr. Gold." She whispered and every fibre of him was tempted to lean across and kiss her and give her the chance to show how thankful she was. But he wanted to do things slowly and properly. This life was a chance to do things differently, and Belle was his chance to have his happiness here.

"I'm sure you'll return the favour in good time." Was all he said to her. But truthfully, he didn't need her to ever respect a deal, anything he did for her he did for a higher reason, a better reason.

Because he loved her.

They nodded to one another. A silent, mutual agreement. A twisted and pre-determined form of trust.

Gold left her stood in the study, clutching the towel in one hand and the yellow sticky note in the other like her life depended on both.

He left the house and found the car sat in his driveway. He'd forgotten completely about the mystery driver, he hadn't even been paid yet he'd just left. Gold was unused to altruism, he didn't trust it.

He decided that getting to the store and back again as quickly as possible was the safest option. He couldn't leave Belle for too long, not when every single thing, or person, cast a shadow.


	4. Chapter 4

**The Curse of the Soul**

**Chapter 4 **

Gold drove quickly to the shop and unlocked the door. It was his one day off, he needed to make it quick and clear that he wasn't open today. He didn't need any customers or unwanted visitors. He ensured that no one say him enter the shop and that the closed sign was evident. He then limped through the cluttered shop in the direction of the back room. His cane banged against the floor, he looked at the dusty surroundings and sighed. The cluttered world around him represented how disorganised his life had become, truthfully he needed Belle back in it because she was so good at fixing things. At cleaning up the messes he made, she made him a better person and he loved her for it. He would like to have paused and stood in the middle of the chaos of his little shop but he wanted to be quickly back to Belle.

He hurried through to the back store and searched the rail of women's clothing he had. He didn't know what kind of style Lacey liked but he remembered the kind of woman Belle was. He would do his best to choose a suitable style for her until she was well enough that he could take her out shopping or bring her here herself. He picked out a series of dresses, a couple of skirts, a few cardigans and some shirts. He struggled to carry them all but just about managed. As he struggled back out to his car his mind raced, mainly about his shop. Lacey was newly out of the asylum and going by the rules of this world she would need a place to work. If he let her work in the shop, tidy things up and clean up, then she would be paying him back. She would feel better and he would have a clean shop. He would pay for her clothes and food and they could eventually run the business together. They could be really happy, a proper couple. As he left the shop and went to make a couple of steps towards his car a small child went barrelling into him.

He staggered back and managed to regain his footing but dropped most of the clothes. He looked down at the child who had sandy, blonde hair and big blue eyes. He recognised the child as belonging to the crazy, old lady who lived on the outskirts of town and had seven children. She could hardly cope, not to mention she had the same number of cats on top of that. The child was poor, underfed and in tattered clothing, those children were as good as orphans their mother was hopeless. But Gold couldn't feel any anger for the way he'd just practically tackled him. He felt sorry for him, he knew what it was like to have a parent who just didn't care.

"I'm so sorry!" the child stammered but Gold held up a hand to stop him.

"It's alright my boy, just give me a hand getting these into the car." He gestured down to the clothes on the ground. The boy immediately bent down and picked up some of the dresses, he refolded them neatly as Gold opened the door and then placed them inside. Gold was impressed at his neatness.

"These are all clothes for a lady." The boy commented, Gold assumed in the hope of receiving the relevant information.

"Yes they are." Gold replied and the boy was silent for another moment or so, continuing his routine of folding the clothes and placing them neatly on the back seat.

"How are things at home?" Gold asked softly. The woman had been good to him when she had been sane, and in the other world. She always supplied him with straw free of charge. He liked her and her children.

"A little hard, but we all try and help out. I do the clothes washing." The boy said and Gold nodded as he realised this was why he was so adept at folding and sorting clothes.

"What's your name?" Gold asked as they finished putting the last of the clothes on the seat and Gold shut the door. The boy waited patiently and politely, waiting to be dismissed. Gold thought it was a shame that he didn't remember the monster who'd once bought straw from him.

"Andrew." The boy replied, Gold delved into his pocket and pulled out twenty dollars.

"Go and get some treats for you and your siblings, Andrew. And tell your mother I say hello." He said, handing the child the money. Andrew paused, his eyes wide with disbelief before he gingerly took the note. Most of the children in the town were scared of Gold, but most of their parents had wronged him.

"Thank you, Sir." The boy stammered again and Gold managed a smile.

"Don't mention it, now run along." He said, gesturing with his head. Andrew smiled and darted away.

"Oh Andrew!" Gold called after him and he stopped, turning around to look back. "Tell your mother that if she ever needs help then she can always come to me." The child nodded before running away. Gold smiled weakly to himself before remembering Belle. He climbed into the car and started the engine. It was incredibly out of character for him to be nice to a child or feel like he owed something to someone else. But the old woman who lived in a shoe had always been good to him in the past life, he just wanted to help her back.

He drove back quicker than he'd driven there, he knew he was breaking rules, possibly even laws, but it was only Regina enforcing them. And he was pretty sure she was more scared of him than he was of her. He wasn't really bothered, he cared more about getting back to Belle. He wanted to get her dressed and warm, he wanted to make sure she got some rest and felt like she could relax. He pulled into his drive and hurried up to unlock the door before going back to the car and collecting the clothes. He could carry them all at once, he kicked the car door shut and then the front door behind him.

"Belle?" he called out and cursed himself, "Lacey?" he corrected himself, half hoping she hadn't heard his first attempt so she wouldn't think he was crazy. There was no response and Gold's immediate reaction was fear. The first thought to enter his mind was that the shadow had come back and was haunting her, that it had come to collect its dark reward. He rushed up the stairs, clutching the clothes to his chest and went straight to his bedroom to dump them down before instigating a full search of the house.

But when he entered his bedroom he found a sight he wasn't expecting. Belle was asleep on his bed, he could see the gentle rise and fall of her chest and a slight snore to her breath. It was adorable. He carefully walked over to the chair in the corner and placed the pile of clothes down on it, determined not to make a single sound. He then walked back over to the bed and sat down on the edge of it. She had found one of his shirts and changed into it, she was also wearing a pair of his boxer shorts and Gold noted that she looked good in them and he might have to get her to wear them more often. She lay on her back with her legs curled around to the side, one arm across her stomach and the other up by her face. She appeared peaceful, almost smiling at the quiet serenity of the world where no one could bother her. Gold didn't doubt this was the best sleep she'd had in years.

He reached forward and brushed a strand of dark hair from her beautiful face, she barely moved. For a second Gold worried that this was the work of a sleeping curse but then she moved her head and turned it to the side so she was facing away from him. This was the way so many others reacted to him, they turned away from the mask of his sanity. The crazy lay beneath, the crazy only she had truly seen.


	5. Chapter 5

**The Curse of the Soul**

**Chapter 5**

Lacey dreamt, and when she dreamt she dreamt of shadows and spears. They pierced her soul and captured it, taking it away and destroying it so she died. But it wasn't painful, she wasn't scared. She simply watched it all happen before her, she dreamt of the magic but none of it frightened her. In a way it was comforting, in a way the way her soul was taken and destroyed was a symbol of her being protected from any further harm. Her death was quick and painless, not like she'd heard in the asylum.

But then she woke up, it took her a moment to remember where she was; and what she was wearing. But then she remembered, light was streaming through the curtains of the window opposite where she was lying but it was weak. The sun was setting, she must have slept all day. Memories of her past life spread through her mind like a flood, the parties and wild nights. It was who she was. She craved adventure, she needed to take risks and dare herself to achieve new heights of controlled idiocy.

Lying in an old mans bed wasn't going to achieve any of that.

This man could give her some thrills, she didn't know who he was but he was kind and had good taste. In a way she trusted him, but at the same time she didn't. She didn't really want to hang around but she needed some time to sort herself out. She wasn't meant to be in that asylum, not ever, but now she had the opportunity to make up for those lost years.

She sat up slowly and looked around. Gold was nowhere to be seen but there was a pile of clothes on the chair opposite the bed, under the window. She climbed off the bed and walked over to the clothes, she looked through them, deciding she didn't like any of them and couldn't wait to go shopping herself. She eventually picked out a green skirt and a grey shirt. It wasn't a particularly tasteful outfit but it was enough for now. Realising there was no underwear she kept the boxers on and risked going without a bra. She found a plastic band on the bedside table and used it to tie her hair up into a tight ponytail. Once she was comfortable in what she was wearing she neatly folded the shirt and placed it on the end of the bed as she left the room. She padded down the stairs, barefoot, in this house she didn't feel afraid of anything, not even soul sucking monsters.

She could smell food in the kitchen, it smelt spicy and refreshing, a food with the kind of heat that could satisfy her. She moved through stacks of books and other various objects that were piled high until she reached the doorway to the kitchen and dining area. She peered around and saw Gold stood with his back to her, he appeared to be cutting up vegetables or something.

She ventured further in and cleared her throat to signal she was there. He turned around and smiled when he saw her.

"Ah, you're awake at last!" he exclaimed before returning to finishing up cutting his vegetables. Once he was done he poured the vegetables into a pan which was already heating on the stove, it sizzled and he swirled the diced up vegetables around skilfully.

"You shouldn't have let me sleep so long." Lacey smiled weakly as she sat on a chair by the counter.

"Nonsense, after spending twenty eight years in a mental institute you deserved a good sleep."

"But now I won't sleep so well tonight."

"Then we'll have to find something else for you to do, won't we?" for a second a dark glimmer shone in Gold's eyes and Lacey was excited, but whilst she knew what she wanted she doubted he would go for it. Sure enough the glimmer died quickly as he returned his attentions to dinner.

"I hope you like fajitas." He said with his back to her. "I make all the fillings from scratch."

"I didn't have you down as a world class cook."

"I wouldn't say world class, but after living alone for all these years I've learned how to make a few simple recipes." He took the pan off the stove and placed the vegetables in a bowl of water, they steamed as they cooled. He then moved his attention to the bowl of mayonnaise, he added herbs and spices and eventually the vegetables that Lacey assumed were peppers. He mixed it all together whilst he talked.

"I used to have a wife who cooked for me and my son. But then she found another man and went off with him, my son and I had disagreements and soon I didn't have him either." He fell silent for a few moments as he stirred all the ingredients together. Lacey watched him, she felt uncomfortable, and she didn't know how to respond to something like that.

"Anyway, a long time passed and then I found a new woman. She was wonderful. She cooked and cleaned for me and never complained. At first I took advantage of her, I almost felt like she should be doing this for me. That after all my misfortune I deserved someone like a slave. I must give her credit where it is due, despite my wickedness to her she never gave up on me. She continued to love me before I even knew I loved her."

The oven pinged and he retrieved the bread for the fajitas and Lacey saw half a chicken still roasting. He lay out the bread to cool and turned his attention to the salsa which he continued to prepare as he continued his story.

"After a while we became more equal, she made me human whereas I'd been a monster before. She made these fantastic hamburgers, completely from scratch. She compacted the mince and everything herself, she was amazing. Hamburgers were always her favourite food."

"I've never liked hamburgers." Lacey commented absentmindedly, she watched Gold's shoulders stiffen and kept her mouth shut. Assuming it was from her interruption of the story she hadn't asked to be told.

"Anyway," he said quietly, "I made a big mistake, I pushed her away and in a moment of weakness returned to my beastly ways. She ran and never came back. I lost her too. But I'm going to get her back, she's going to come back to me."

"If you treated her like a slave I wouldn't count on it." Lacey said, she wasn't sure if she wanted him to hear it or not but he turned to her with a slight smile.

"Oh sometimes, she liked it." Lacey knew exactly what he was referring to and smiled back. This man was so full of intrigue, she knew using him until she could get what she needed was horrible, but it was the best way to go for her.

Gold removed the chicken from the oven and switched it off, he then carved up the chicken and placed everything on separate plates.

"Can I help?" Lacey asked, she felt redundant sat alone watching him.

"Place these on the counter there." He instructed and she obeyed. She picked up the plates and placed them neatly side by side in what appeared like a production line. Gold brought over the chicken and some extra plates, and finally they sat down next to each other. They made their separate fajitas and ate them in near silence. Both of them were hungrier than they realised. Once they had finished the fajitas Gold began to clean up.

"How can I help now?" Lacey asked, hopping down from her stool.

"There are plastic containers in that drawer there, spoon out the remainder of the salsa and cream into separate containers so we can have it again."

Lacey followed his instructions and retrieved the plastic containers. As she spooned the remnants of their dinner to become leftovers she thought about Gold and his story. She especially thought about the second woman, and the girl he'd thought she was. Belle.


End file.
